Question 167·Easy·Transitions
The northern spotted owl depends on old-growth forests for nesting sites, but these habitats are increasingly fragmented by logging operations. ______ conservationists are working with timber companies to establish protected corridors that link the remaining stands.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first summarize each sentence or clause in a few words (e.g., “problem,” “result,” “contrast,” “example”). Then decide what kind of logical connection links them: cause-and-effect, contrast, addition, example, or time. Next, classify each answer choice by its usual function and quickly eliminate any that don’t match the relationship you identified. Always plug your final choice back into the sentence to check that the combined meaning is smooth and logical.
Hints
Focus on the relationship between the sentences
Ask yourself: Is the second sentence opposing the first, giving an example of it, showing a result of it, or just describing something happening at the same time?
Label each sentence (problem, action, example, etc.)
Try to summarize each sentence in 3–5 words. Is the first sentence a problem or situation, and is the second sentence more like a reaction/response, a contrast, or an illustration?
Match transition meanings to the relationship
Think about what each transition generally shows: contrast, example, time, or result. Eliminate options whose meanings don’t fit the relationship you identified between the two sentences.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what each sentence is saying
Read the first sentence: it presents a problem—the owl needs old-growth forests, but logging is breaking those forests into fragments. The second sentence describes a response—conservationists are working with timber companies to create protected corridors to connect the remaining forest stands.
Identify the logical relationship
Ask: How is the second sentence related to the first?
- It does not contradict the first sentence.
- It is not just something happening at the same time.
- It is not an example of a general statement. Instead, it describes what people are doing because of the problem in the first sentence. That is a cause-and-effect (problem → response) relationship.
Classify each transition word
Now think about what each option usually signals:
- “However,” shows contrast or opposition.
- “For instance,” introduces an example.
- “Meanwhile,” shows two things happening at the same time.
- One option in the list signals result or consequence, which matches a problem → response relationship.
Choose the transition that shows result/consequence
Because the second sentence describes what conservationists are doing as a result of the habitat fragmentation, the transition that shows consequence fits best. The correct choice is “Consequently,”.